COQ AU VIN // elspeth

My computer is on 4 percent battery right now. So extremely quickly, here's what you need to know.

We bought four roosters from our friend Victoria last spring. We stuck them in the freezer, where they sat out the summer madness. The other day when I went down to put in a box of lamb we just purchased from Border Bay Junction Farm, I remembered them and pulled one out. While it thawed I realized I had no idea how to cook a rooster. Did it need special treatment?

It did ! according to thekitchn.com. It needed to be slow cooked as Coq au Vin! Did I have a recipe? No I did not. But Ina Garten did!

And happily, her recipe was delicious. My only regret is that I did not make biscuits, because they would have been the perfect accompaniment. Two things about the recipe should be noted: if you want to use fresh onions instead of frozen (we did), be sure to add them slightly earlier than Ina asks you to. Also, if you've never cut a chicken into eight pieces you'll need a tutorial. Thomas Keller has a nice one in Ad Hoc at Home. Otherwise we followed Ina's directions to a tee! Happy rooster stewing.